Sports and Pain Medication Abuse

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

Pills NFLThe latest news out of the NFL is that the league is being sued for causing prescription pain medication abuse. A study done at Washington University revealed the severity of the problem. Researchers found:

  • 52% of retired NFL players used prescription pain medications during their playing days.
  • Of those players, 71% misused the drugs, and 15% continue to misuse these medications.
  • 63% of the retired players obtained the medications from non-medical sources including trainers and the Internet.
  • In general, the rate of prescription drug abuse for professional athletes was four times that of the general population.

The statistics on drug abuse among athletes points to the level of the problem in society. Performance as a professional athlete is a premium quality. Our society has been pushing athletes to perform at the highest level no matter the cost. Now, we are finally starting to uncover the stark reality of the cost. Abuse often becomes a lifelong problem. Pain and damage from athletics can definitely be a long-term struggle.

Abuse Treatments

Pain is a medical issue that has multiple treatments based on the pathology; only in the United States do people heavily rely on opioid medications. Addiction is a psychological and physical issue due to the brain and body’s dependence on these drugs. Addiction is extremely hard to treat, and is often a lifelong struggle.

The take home message is likely that as a nation, we need to become more realistic in the management of injuries, especially in sports. Ruining our life to just play a sport for a short time more is dangerous. Pain is a sign in an acute injury that there is ongoing damage. Masking the pain with an opioid leads to further injury and damage. The cycle keeps going and the athlete gets to the point where the injury is severe enough to never heal completely and the pain becomes lifelong experience.

Masking the pain with drugs and preventing normal healing is the wrong technique to use in sport injury management. The danger of addiction and lifelong pain is not an adequate reward for sports performance. NFL players or other athletes are not invincible. Chronic pain can lead to a miserable life, so seek professional services if you need help.